Caretakers describe Woody's daughter as 'different'

Attorney Reggie Wilson speaks with defendant Sara Anne Woody, 25, during proceedings Wednesday in 30th District Court. Woody is accused of causing injury to her stepchildren to include licking a toilet, hitting their lips with a spoon and forcing one to do push ups without stopping, otherwise she would hit him with a tent pole.(Photo: CHRISTOPHER WALKER/TIMES RECORD NEWS)Buy Photo

When they took in their niece's children, David and Melissa Hardman didn't realize just how "different" one of Sara Anne Woody's children behaved.

Woody, 25, is on trial for 26 counts of injury to a child in connection to allegations of severe child abuse. The pair testified Wednesday afternoon in the 30th District Court.

The reported abuse includes "striking (her stepson) with a metal spoon repeatedly on the lip," "locking (him) in a closet all night as punishment," "making (him) strip naked and sit in his room naked as punishment" and "making (him) lick the commode," among other punishments.

She is also alleged to have abused a second stepson by also "striking (him) on his (genitals) as punishment for wetting the bed" and "placing a lighter near (his) mouth as punishment for lying," according to the indictments.

After Woody was charged, her children were taken away by Child Protective Services. Her two stepsons were placed with their maternal grandparents and later relocated to the home of their paternal grandparents by CPS.

The Hardmans were asked to take custody of Woody's daughter and son from a previous marriage, as well as her son from her marriage with Jonathan Woody – the father of the victims. They would also later care for a daughter that Woody gave birth to while incarcerated.

On April 27, 2016, just two days after the children were placed with the Hardmans, Melissa Hardman took Woody's oldest daughter, who was about 5 years old at the time, to Sam's Club after the girl got out of school in Burkburnett.

During the drive, Melissa said she asked the girl about her day and tried to carry on a normal conversation.

However, the girl became angry about something her older stepbrother said about having different last names.

After a long pause, Melissa said the girl told her she "wanted to take a hammer and nail to him," referring to her older brother. Melissa said she was "shocked" and unable to respond.

Melissa also described the girl as having nightmares, including one where she began screaming for help and had all the lights on in her room. When asked what was wrong, the girl reportedly said she was afraid of a man in the living room.

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Sara Anne Woody, 25, is accused of 26 counts of injury to a child stemming from allegations of child torture and abuse. She has plead not guilty to each count.
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David Hardman described another incident as the family was walking through Walmart. As they passed through an aisle with packages of underwear, David said the girl closed her eyes and said it was inappropriate.

He also testified they would have to get onto the girl when she'd walk in her siblings naked and not react or stare. He said she didn't seem phased by the nudity, which he found strange.

Both Melissa and David said the girl behaved much differently than their adult children did at the same age.

They both described the girl as lacking sympathy or empathy for her siblings. They said she would hold her siblings down and not let them go when they began crying.

David said she would only seem upset when she gets in trouble and smile as her siblings cried.

Melissa described the girl as having an "overwhelming need to be in control" and very manipulative of her siblings in a way beyond just getting what she wanted.

She said the girl would hold a toy out of reach of her infant sister. As the infant would reach up for the toy and cry, Melissa testified the girl would smile and not give it to her.

Both Hardmans said the girl hasn't made much progress with her developmental issues and inability to show sympathy for other people, despite having been with them for over a year.

The trial is expected to resume at 9 a.m. Thursday with testimony from Woody's stepsons.